1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to devices used to sort laundry prior to washing, especially such devices that have several compartments for different types of items to be laundered.
2. Background Information
Clothes hampers, used for the storage of soiled laundry, are very old and well known. More recently, others have developed devices for separating laundry of different types in different compartments. For example, colored laundry is separated from whites, or polyester from cotton.
However, a number of shortcomings have been found with these devices. For example, typical hampers have solid walls that restrict air flow on the sides and bottom, and frequently on the top as well. Thus, damp clothing items left in such a hamper are not likely to be exposed to the air, and may therefore attract mold and mildew, which may also affect other items in contact with the damp item.
Furthermore, typical hampers or clothes sorters are only accessible from one location, usually the top of the storage compartment. Such a limitation on accessibility is frequently very inconvenient, and also places limitations on where in a room the clothes hamper may be placed. In particular, the hamper will usually have to be placed on the floor, and floor space is frequently at a premium in the laundry areas of many residences.
The multiple compartment laundry sorter of the present invention overcomes difficulties described above and affords other features and advantages heretofore not available.